Vaughan Dodds, 45, who was once part of a crack police team guarding the ex-Prime Minister’s home, claimed when he left the force he suffered ME, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression so severely he could hardly leave the house.

He pocketed disability living allowance, income support and council tax benefit for himself and wife Mandy whom he said suffered from sensitive hearing condition hyperacusis and could not stand loud noises.

But his lies were unravelled when fraud investigators found pictures of the couple dancing and leaping on the beds of their cabin on a luxury cruise liner.

Mandy, who is was claimed could not stand the noise of tearing toilet paper, booked herself on a motorcycling course and was caught blow-drying a customer's hair at her family’s beauty salon.

Dodds, who had banked a £250,000 inheritance and £160,000 home from his late dad, blew the state handouts putting his children through private school and on a series of holidays.

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LUSH: Vaughan took his family on a series of holidays

He was found guilty of nine charges of dishonest representation to obtain benefits following a trial.

Jailing him at Teesside Crown Court Recorder Graham Cook said he had conducted a 'sophisticated and planned’ fraud for four years and lived a lavish lifestyle on the proceeds.

"It is made very much worse by the fact that you were a serving police officer and the public expect more of a serving or even a former police officer because you should know more than most the difference between right and wrong," he added.

Dodds and his wife spent £34,000 in health and beauty salons, £26,000 in hotels and restaurants including £6,900 in one diner alone, went on two cruises and took holidays to Orlando and Egypt.

In 2005 the family went on a 14-night cruise around the Canary Islands on luxury liner Legend Of The Seas.

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CAUGHT: The couple lived a lavish lifestyle on the proceeds

“It is made very much worse by the fact that you were a serving police officer”

Recorder Graham Cook

The following year their cruise took them to Lisbon, Malaga, Gibraltar, Bilbao and Cherbourg.

Graham O'Sullivan, prosecuting, said Dodds had £180,000 in the bank when he was claiming benefits.

He pocketed extra cash by claiming he and his wife were living apart but investigators found them sharing the family home in Langley Moor, near Durham.

Surveillance videos showed the couple dancing around on a hotel bed.

The court heard during a 14-year career with Durham Police Dodds was part of the team that guarded Myrobella House in Trimdon, Co Durham, the constituency home of Mr Blair and his family.

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FAKE: Dodds pocketed disability living allowance, income support and council tax benefit

But the officer left in 2008 after being found guilty of misusing a force computer.

Nigel Soppitt, mitigating, said: "He is a broken man. He is ashamed of himself. His family have been deeply, deeply traumatised by this case. His intention was to give his children a cherished upbringing.

"He is left without his career as a serving police officer which had seen him commended in the past. His good character has gone."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "Cases like this show how we are rooting out the unscrupulous minority who are cheating the system and diverting taxpayers’ money from those who really need it.

"We are determined to find those we suspect of abusing the welfare system by following up on tip-offs, undertaking surveillance and working with local councils."